# Million Dollar Secret season 1
The first season of *[Million Dollar Secret](https://www.edgepedia.org/million-dollar-secret)*, a Netflix reality competition series hosted by [Peter Serafinowicz](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-serafinowicz), ran from March 26 to April 9, 2025 in eight episodes. Twelve contestants stayed at a lakeside estate in Canada while one of them secretly held a box containing $1 million; the other eleven tried to identify the millionaire through daily challenges and nightly votes, and each eliminated millionaire passed the money to another player.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) • [2](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/netflix-million-dollar-secret-traitors-b2722351.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and premiere | Netflix; first three episodes released March 26, 2025[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) |
| Episode count | 8 episodes of about 45 minutes, released over three weeks[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) • [3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-netflix-reality-universe-expands-with-a-sizzling-lineup-of-new) |
| Host | Peter Serafinowicz, English actor and comedian[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) |
| Prize | $1 million in a locked box, held by a secretly designated millionaire[2](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/netflix-million-dollar-secret-traitors-b2722351.html) |
| Filming location | The Stag, a private chateau on 44 acres in Kelowna, Canada[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) |
| Production | Wheelhouse UK and Spoke Studios; announced May 2024[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-netflix-reality-universe-expands-with-a-sizzling-lineup-of-new) |
| Reception | 83% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 6 reviews; 90% audience score[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/million_dollar_secret/s01) |
## Format
**The box.** Twelve strangers arrive at a sumptuous lakeside estate, and each room contains a box. Eleven boxes are empty; one holds $1 million, which its recipient keeps unless they are identified and voted out. When the players eliminate a millionaire, the money is randomly reassigned to someone new.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) • [2](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/netflix-million-dollar-secret-traitors-b2722351.html) A millionaire under too much suspicion can also ditch the cash to survive another day in the game.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news)
**Secret agendas.** In each episode, Serafinowicz gives the millionaire a secret agenda to complete for an advantage in the game, while all players take part in daily activities that can win them strategic opportunities to unmask the millionaire.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) According to the show's wiki, completing an agenda can earn the millionaire a "Killshot," a reward that lets them cast the sole elimination vote or eliminate one additional contestant after another has already been voted out.[5](https://million-dollar-secret.fandom.com/wiki/Million_Dollar_Secret_1) [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) describes agendas as tasks similar to Big Brother's secret missions, such as getting other players to say a certain phrase, with penalties when the millionaire fails.[6](https://www.tvguide.com/news/million-dollar-secret-netflix-the-traitors/)
The nightly dinner vote is the game's central mechanism: contestants accuse, deflect, and try to throw one another under suspicion before casting a vote on who holds the million.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) • [2](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/netflix-million-dollar-secret-traitors-b2722351.html)
## Production
Netflix announced the series in May 2024 under the working title *Million Dollar Secret*, produced by Wheelhouse UK and Spoke Studios with Glenn Hugill and Will Nothacker as executive producers and Charles Wachter as showrunner.[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-netflix-reality-universe-expands-with-a-sizzling-lineup-of-new) Hugill, whose credits include *The Mole* and *Deal or No Deal*, told TV Guide he was "thrilled that people are comparing" the show to *The Traitors*, calling that series "the Sistine Chapel of reality shows."[6](https://www.tvguide.com/news/million-dollar-secret-netflix-the-traitors/)
The setting is a lakeside estate called [The Stag](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-stag), a private chateau on 44 acres in Kelowna, Canada.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news) A later behind-the-scenes report revealed that, although the on-screen selection is never shown, producers choose the first and each subsequent millionaire by drawing a name out of a hat.[7](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2026/04/million-dollar-secret-season-2-behind-the-scenes-interview/)
## Cast
The season's 12 contestants included Cara, a 29-year-old In-N-Out cook and former kids' birthday party clown; Chris, a 34-year-old [Ivy League](https://www.edgepedia.org/ivy-league)-educated beverage brand CEO who posed as a struggling entrepreneur; Corey, a 38-year-old builder; Harry, a 59-year-old photographer who had worked for billionaires; Jaimi, a 42-year-old life coach; Kyle, a 27-year-old construction worker; Lauren, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom and former school counselor from [Fargo, North Dakota](https://www.edgepedia.org/fargo-north-dakota); Lydia, a 64-year-old retired escrow agent who hid 30 years of professional poker experience; Phillip, a 41-year-old college professor with 15 years as a therapist; Samantha, a 41-year-old police officer; Se Young, a 35-year-old systems VP in video game research; and Sydnee, a 32-year-old in medical sales from northern Alaska.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news)
The finale left Corey Niles, Sam Hubbard, and Cara Kies with equal opportunities, though not equal influence, to win the grand prize.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/news/million-dollar-secret-netflix-winner/)
## Release schedule
New episodes rolled out every Wednesday over three weeks: episodes 1 through 3 on March 26, 2025, episodes 4 through 6 on April 2, and the final episodes 7 and 8 on April 9.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news)
## Reception
**Comparisons to The Traitors.** Critics almost universally framed the season against *The Traitors*, the Peacock and BBC social deduction hit. The Guardian's Stuart Heritage wrote that the show is "transparently, baldly, shamelessly The Traitors" and "the result of a careful scientific procedure designed to make something as identical to The Traitors as humanly possible," while still rating it 4 out of 5 and calling it addictive.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/26/million-dollar-secret-review-you-wont-be-able-to-get-enough-of-this-shameless-rip-off-of-the-traitors) The Independent reported that Netflix was branded "lazy" and "shameless" after the premiere, even though viewers at home were more receptive than critics.[2](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/netflix-million-dollar-secret-traitors-b2722351.html) The London Standard called it "a lazy, one-note ripoff,"[10](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/million-dollar-secret-netflix-review-b1218757.html) and Anita Singh of the Daily Telegraph gave it 2 out of 5, writing that it gets "zero marks for originality" while remaining entertaining enough.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/million_dollar_secret/s01)
**More favorable takes.** On Rotten Tomatoes the season scored 83 percent among six critics and 90 percent with audiences.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/million_dollar_secret/s01) Metacritic logged scores of 80 for The Guardian, 70 for Decider, and 40 for The Telegraph.[11](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/million-dollar-secret/season-1/) Decider's Joel Keller praised the fast-moving gameplay and Serafinowicz's "playfully arch" hosting.[11](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/million-dollar-secret/season-1/) Reality Blurred's Andy Dehnart gave it an A-, writing that it does not feel like a lifeless knock-off, and later argued that the format "works better as a game" than *The Traitors*.[12](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2025/03/million-dollar-secret-netflix-review/) • [13](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2025/04/million-dollar-secret-season-1-winner-finale/) TV Guide found the late-season moves genuinely clever and the ending "incredibly satisfying."[6](https://www.tvguide.com/news/million-dollar-secret-netflix-the-traitors/)
## Aftermath
Netflix renewed the show: a second season with a new cast of 12 aired on Netflix in April 2026, and a celebrity edition, *Celebrity Million Dollar Secret*, was announced with 13 famous contestants, including [David Arquette](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-arquette), Christine Quinn, Melora Hardin, and [Adam Rippon](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-rippon), for 2027.[14](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/million-dollar-secret-season-2-cast/) • [15](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/celebrity-million-dollar-secret-release-date-news) The season-2 cast arrived having studied season one, forcing the producers to evolve the game.[7](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2026/04/million-dollar-secret-season-2-behind-the-scenes-interview/)
## References
1. [Million Dollar Secret: What to Know About the Players and the Rules of the Game, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/million-dollar-secret-season-1-release-date-news)
2. [Netflix branded 'shameless' after premiere of 'note-for-note rip-off' of The Traitors, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/netflix-million-dollar-secret-traitors-b2722351.html)
3. [The Netflix Reality Universe Expands with a Sizzling Lineup of New Unscripted Shows, About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-netflix-reality-universe-expands-with-a-sizzling-lineup-of-new)
4. [Million Dollar Secret: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/million_dollar_secret/s01)
5. [Million Dollar Secret 1, Million Dollar Secret Wiki (Fandom)](https://million-dollar-secret.fandom.com/wiki/Million_Dollar_Secret_1)
6. [Netflix's Million Dollar Secret Is the Perfect Reality TV Binge Until The Traitors Comes Back, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/million-dollar-secret-netflix-the-traitors/)
7. [Secrets of Million Dollar Secret, Netflix's scintillating competition, Reality Blurred](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2026/04/million-dollar-secret-season-2-behind-the-scenes-interview/)
8. [The Winner of Netflix's Million Dollar Secret Reveals How They Walked Away With a Fortune, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/million-dollar-secret-netflix-winner/)
9. [Million Dollar Secret review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/26/million-dollar-secret-review-you-wont-be-able-to-get-enough-of-this-shameless-rip-off-of-the-traitors)
10. [Million Dollar Secret on Netflix review, The London Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/million-dollar-secret-netflix-review-b1218757.html)
11. [Million Dollar Secret: Season 1 Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/million-dollar-secret/season-1/)
12. [Million Dollar Secret effectively knocks off The Traitors with a clever format, Reality Blurred](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2025/03/million-dollar-secret-netflix-review/)
13. [How Million Dollar Secret ended, and why I hope there's more, Reality Blurred](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2025/04/million-dollar-secret-season-1-winner-finale/)
14. [Meet the Cast of 'Million Dollar Secret' Season 2, Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/million-dollar-secret-season-2-cast/)
15. [Million Dollar Secret Celebrity Series Release Date, News, Cast, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/celebrity-million-dollar-secret-release-date-news)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Reality and competition franchise editions › Dancing with the Stars and dance-competition franchises*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license